Automatic wheel washer



June 1965 R. A. VAN BRAKEL 3,191,207

AUTOMATIC WHEEL WASHER Filed July 8, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 FlG RUSSEL A. VAN BRAKEL INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS June 29, 1965 R. A. VAN BRAKEL 3,191,207

AUTOMATIC WHEEL WASHER Filed July 8, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 3O 77 so 72 75 FIG 5 F'G 6 T3 4o 33 68 70 e4 as INVENTOR. 2 i RUSSEL A.VAN BRAKEL & Qwv &1

ATTORNEYS June 29, 1965 R. A. VAN BRAKEL 3,191,207

AUTOMATIC WHEEL WASHER Filed July 8, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 I00 lOl I02 I17 AIR RUSSEL A. VAN BRAKEL INVENTOR.

BY Q y ATTORNEYS June 29, 1965 R. A. VAN BRAKEL 3,191,207

AUTOMATIC WHEEL WASHER Filed July 8, 196 s 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 RUSSEL f5. VAW 1H L -rrorvlevs United States Patent 3,191,207 AUTOMATIC WHEEL WASHER Russel A. Van Brakel, Wooddale, IlL, assiguor to Haverberg Auto Laundry Equipment Co., Inc, a corporation of Illinois Filed July 8, 1963, Ser. No. 293,474 14 Claims. (Cl. 15-21) The present invention relates to automatic wheel washers for car washes of the type wherein a cleaning agent is nozzle directed onto the vehicle wheel to be washed and a non-spinning brush is urged thereagainst while the wheel is spun by live rollers and while the vehicle is being pulled along through the car wash. More particularly the invention relates to such a wheel washer wherein several wheel spinning rollers are used with their axes remaining stationary during the wheel washing operation as distinguished from those wheel washers in which a pair of wheel spinning rollers are mounted on a carriage which moves along with the vehicle during the wheel washing operation.

In important object of the invention is to provide an improved wheel washer of the stationary wheel spinning roller type in which the scrubbing brush and nozzles for the steam-detergent or other cleaning agent are automatically accurately positioned and controlled relative to the vehicle for maximum eifectiveness during the entire wheel washing cycle.

Another important object is to provide an improved such machine which is unusually reliable and trouble-free and yet can handle a high volume of vehicles while maintaining its cleaning effectiveness.

Other more particular objects and advantages of the invention will, with the foregoing, appear and be understood in the course of the following description and claims, the invention consisting in the novel construction and in the adaptation and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a wheel washing operation incorporating one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a somewhat schematic fragmentary vertical sectional view on line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged-scale illustration of said embodiment-shown partly in plan and partly in horizontal section.

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view taken from the vantage point shown by 44 in FIG. 3 with the scale enlarged.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary transverse vertical sectional view on line 55 of FIG. 3, using the same scale as that of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary transverse vertical sectional view on line 6-6 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view on line 7-7 of FIG. 3 with the scale the same as that of FIGS. 4, 5 and 6.

FIG. 8 is a schematic view of the air control system.

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary top plan View illustrating a second embodiment; and

FIG. 10 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view on line 10-10 of FIG. 9.

As above indicated by way of introduction, the wheel washer of the present invention relies upon spinning of the wheels while in contact with a brush to obtain a scrubbing action. As is well known in the art, this spinning is accomplished by a set of rollers 26 traversing the travel path of the vehicle while it is pulled over the rollers by an endless conveyor 27 continuing the length of the wash rack containing the wheel washer. For purposes of example, seven rollers have been shown with the 3,191,20? Patented June 29, 1965 outer two being idlers and the other five being power driven as from a motor 28 by a chain drive 29. Activating and deactivating treadles 31-32 are mounted in the travel path of the conveyed vehicles before the first and after the last of the rollers 26, respectively.

In general, the illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a stationary frame 33 anchored to the floor, a carriage 34 pneumatically powered by an air cylinder 35 to move the brush 25 against the wheel to be washed, and a holder assembly 36, for the brush and a pair of steam nozzles 30, which is slidably mounted on the carriage and powered to move the brush 25 along with the wheel as the related vehicle is pulled over the spinning rollers 26. A pair of such units can be mounted directly opposite one another with a single set of the wheel spinning rollers therebetween of a length to traverse the full width of the vehicles, or the units can each have their own set of rollers for the wheels on the respective side of the vehicles and be either directly opposite one another or staggered lengthwise of the wash rack at the opposite sides thereof. The latter condition has been shown in the drawings as an example.

Continuing to a detailed description of the illustrated embodiment, the stationary frame 33 has a center tubular housing 37 for the pneumatic cylinder 35 which is anchored to the outer end of the housing and has its piston rod 35a pin-connected at 35b to the center of the carriage 34. The frame of the carriage 34 comprises a channel 40 extending parallel to the conveyor 27 and a pair of parallel spaced tubes 41-42 welded at their inner ends to the web of the channel and extending outwardly at right angles thereto. These tubes 41-42 are slidably mounted in guide tubes 38-39 provided by the stationary frame at opposite sides of the center tube 37 and house a pair of air cylinders 43-44 which are each only charged with pressured air on the inner end (piston rod end) thereof, the outer end being vented. Pins 45 anchor these cylinders to the outer ends of their housing tubes and at their free ends the piston rods 43a-44a thereof have clevises 46 for pulleys 47-48. Respective cables 49-50 work on these pulleys and thread out of the inner end portions of the tubes 41-42 through respective inner and outer openings 51-52. The inner openings 51 are each bridged by a post 53 around which the respective cable 49-50 bends. Adjacent these posts 53 the cables have stud end fittings 54 anchored to angle brackets 55 in turn welded to the channel 40. The outer openings 52 are each bordered top and bottom by a pair of eyes 56 between which are journaled pulleys 57-58 for the cables 49-40, respectively. These cables are anchored at their outer ends on drums 59-60 made integral with sprockets 61-62 and are journaled on studs 63 which pass through brackets 64 welded to end plates 65 on the opposite ends of the channel 40. The studs are necked at their threaded free end portions and bear by the resulting shoulder against take-up plates 66 by action of their nuts 63a. To anchor the ends of the cables the drums 59-60 each have a chordal bore receiving the respective cable and intersected by a radial tapped hole for a set screw.

The pair of end plates 65 on the channel 40 project toward the conveyor 27 relative to the web of the channel and each projection, denoted 65a, has a pair of vertically spaced tubular sockets 67-68 extending therethrough and welded thereto in parallel relation to the channel. Upper and lower tubular rails 69-70 have their ends seated in these sockets and are fixed by vertical pins 71 extending down through the sockets. Riding on these rails 69-70 by a pair of sleeves 72-73 is the brush holder 36. The upper of these sleeves has a chain clip 75 welded on its outer face for receiving the ends of a chain 76 which passes around the sprockets 61-62. For a frame the holder 36 has a back plate 77 to which the sleeves 72-73 are welded and has front and rear end members 78-79 Trailing the brush holder 36 is a control valve assem bly having a mounting plate 82 and a reach 83 welded at' right angles to the rear end member 79 and joined at their free endsby abridge 84. This bridge is tapped for an adjustable stop bolt 85 opposinga swing arm 86 which has an eccentric cam 87 at its root end. The pivot pin 88 for this cam is journaled in the members 82-83 and Downward swing of the arm 86 away from the stop 85 is'reis retained by a screw 90 threaded into the latter.

sisted by a tension spring 91 which is anchored by a bracket 92 on the plate 82 and hooks through an opening in the arm. At its free end swing arm has journal-mounted thereon a follower roller 93 which projects toward the center of the wash rack so as to occupy a position behind the lower half of the wheel being washed. Consequently, whenever the roller 93 is forced againstthe back of the wheel the arm 86 swings downwardly and faces the cam 87 to close a self-opening valve 94 in the control system. This valve is bolted on the plate 82 directly above the pivot pin 88 so as. to be open when the swing arm is generally horizontal and to be closed when the shuts ofi the supply of high pressure air to the brush advancing cylinder. 44 which thereupon dumps through valve 106. The high pressure air supplied from the 3- way valve 110 to the shuttle valve 108 feeds therefrom into the brush returning cylinder 43 via a dump valve 120. Thus, depression of the deactivating treadle 32 7 causes the motor 28 for the wheel rollers 26 to be deswing arm is forced downwardly in opposition to the spring 91. Flexible neoprene hoses interconnect the valve 94 with the other parts of the control system and are used in most otherparts of the system to permit relative motion.

Directing attention to the schematic of the control sys tern for the air cylinders'35, 43 and 44, high pressure air from a supply source enters the system through a manual valve 100, and after passing through an air filter.

101 and filter lube unit 102 it forks with one branch leading to the cylinder 44 via a diaphragm valve 104, the

swing-arm controlled valve 94, ashuttle valve 105, and

Between the latter.

energized,,the steam for the nozzles 30 to be shut off,

and the brush'and carriage to be returned.

Then, when the activating treadle 31 is depressed by the next wheel, the valve 110 again shuttles causing dumping of the'return end of the carriage cylinder at the valve 110 via the pipe 118, dumping of line'119 at the valve 110, shuttling of valve,108, and dumping of brush return cylinder 43 through valve 120. At the same time the motor 28 is started to spin the rollers 26,'the carriage 34 moves back out to force the brush against the wheel, the brush advancing cylinder 44 is charged, and the nozzles are'supplied.

The simultaneous charging of the piston rod end of the cylinder 44 with high pressure air and dumping of the piston rod end of the cylinder 43 from high pressure to low pressure aircauses the 'piston rod 44a to retract While'perrnitting the piston rod43a to be pulled outwardlyagainst the mild resistance of the low pressure air. As a result the pulley 48, is retracted and unwinds the cable from the drum therebyturning the sprocket 62 in the direction advancing the top' run of the chain 76.

1 This pulls the clip toward the sprocket 62 and hence 30 advances the brush assemblyalong the carriage rails 69- 70. At the same'tirne the chain 76 drives the sprocket 61 which in turn rotates the drum 59 and Winds the cable '49 while tension is maintainedthereon by the pulley 47 due to the low-pressureair supply-to the piston rod end of the cylinder 43. a

When the carriage has advanced sufl'iciently relative to the wheel being washed the control valve 94 is closed by the resulting engagementof the follower roller 93 with the lower part of the wheel as earlier described. This shuts off the supply of high pressure air'to the brush advancing cylinder 44 and results 'in'dumping thereof at valve 106. The wheel then moves ahead slightly relative to the follower roller 93 leaving the spring 91 free to I raise the swing arm 86 and permit the control valve'94 31-32 as for example as shown in Patent'No. 2,837,759, so that the supplied air is shuttled to pipe 111 when the activating treadle 31 is depressed and is shuttled to pipe 112 when the deactivating treadle 32 is depressed. 7

Pipe 111' branches to a pressure switch 113 for starting the motor 28 which drives the wheel-turning rollers 26 and continues to the activating end of the carriage moving cylinder 35 via a steam control valve 114, a stepdown pressure regulator 115 (to about 30 p.s.i.), and a dump valve 116. From the cylinder 35 [the pipe 111 also branches at 117 to open the diaphragm valve 104. Thus, the steam valve 114 'for supplying steam or steam-deter? gent to the nozzles 30 via flexible hoses, and the valve 104 in the circuit for activating the brush advancing cylin der 44, are automatically opened when, and .only when,

to reopen and again char'gethe cylinder 44 to advance the brush assembly until the roller 93 'is pressed hard enough against theback of the, wheel to cause the cycle to be repeated. In actual practice such dumping and charging of the brush advancing cylinder is usually only partial because of the throttling effect created by action of the cam 37 on the valve 94. Theresult of this action is to maintain the brush 25 and the surmounting nozzles the brush.

they carr'a e is in o eratin osition withhe brush 25 V l g p g p L dumping of the cylinder; 44 from high pressure to low pipe 111. This causes the activating end of the carriage cylinder 35 and the pipe-117'to dump at valve 116, and

the supply to the switch 113 and steam valve 114to dump at the valve 110, while the deactivating end ofthe carriage cylinder and thehigh pressure side of shuttle valve 108 are being" supplied by the pipes, 118 and .119, respectively. The dumping ofrpipe 117 leading'to the diaphragm valve 104 causes the latter to close and thereby 30 in substantially fixed washing position relative to the Wheel while scrubbing pressure is maintained on the brush by the carriage cylinder 35. This washing position is on the front part of the wheel whereat downward rotation of the wheel carries the cleaning agent (usually steam-detergent) jetting from the nozzles 30'directlyinto When the wheel reaches and depresses the deactivating treadle 32, the resulting charging of the brush returning cylinder 43 with high pressure air' and simultaneous pressure air in the manner above described, immediately causes the piston rod 43a with its pulley 46 to be retracted run of the chain 76 toward the rearof the carriage thereby returning the brush assembly. vThis movement of V the chain also drives the sprocket 62 and responsively rewinds the cable 50 on the drum 60 while tension is maintained on the, cable by the low pressure air inthe cylinder 44. In this manner the return of' the brush assiembly is positive and rapid. i a i I The embodiment of FIGS. 9 and 10 is somewhat simpler in that it substitutes a single double-acting air cylinder 200 for the two air cylinders 43 and 44, and eliminates the spooling drums 59 and 60. As a functioning counterpart of the carriage 34, there is provided a carriage 34' which is attached to the piston of the air cylinder 35 so as to be shifted inwardly toward and outwardly from the travel path of the car Wheel to be Washed. Guides are perforce provided as complements of the piston for said cylinder 35. The air cylinder 35, said guides, the trailing control valve assembly and its mounting structure are deleted from FIGS. 9 and 10 in order to simplify the illustration.

The double-acting air cylinder 200 has one of its ends footing against one end wall 201 of the carriage 34', this being the end wall which lies distal to said valve assembly, and extends therefrom longitudinally of the carriage for approximately half the length of the latter, receiving support for such inner end from the carriage back wall 203. The rod 204 of the associated piston extends from such inner end and carries a clevis 205. A pair of axially spaced sprocket wheels 206 and 207 are journaled by a pin 208 for free rotation in the space between the arms of said clevis, and taking a half-turn about these sprocket wheels are respective chains, as 209 and 210. Chain 209 has a bottom run dead-ended to the wall 201. A median run returns from the concerned sprocket wheel and takes a half-turn about a free-running sprocket wheel 211 which occupies a position adjacent such wall 201, thence extending by a top run to a clip 75' which, like the clip 75 of the first-described embodiment, is fixed to a counterpart 72 of the sleeve 72. The other chain 210 takes its half turn in the other direction about the related sprocket wheel 207, has a bottom run dead-ended to the carriages other end wall 214, with a median run returning from the sprocket wheel 207 to pass about a free-running sprocket wheel 215 occupying a position adjacent wall 214, and thence to be anchored to a clip 75' at the side of the latter opposite the anchored end of the chain 209.

' The sprocket wheels 206 and 207 have twice the teeth of the sprocket wheels 211 and 215. Correlated to the schematic diagram of FIG. 8 it will be understood that the airhoses which connect with the two ends of the cylinder 200 correspond to the two lines which connect one with the air cylinder 43 and the other with the air cylinder 44.

It is believed that the invention will have been clearly understood from the foregoing detailed description of my now preferred illustrated embodiments. Changes in the 'details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention and it is according my intention that no limitations be implied and that the hereto annexed claims be given the broadest interpretation to which the employed language fairly admits.

I claim:

1. A wheel washer comprising, means for advancing a wheel to be washed along a given travel path, means forrotating said wheel considerably faster, rim speed considered, than the bodily speed of the wheel while being moved along said travel path, an elongated carriage paralleling said travel path and presenting a track therealong, a brush and nozzle assembly slidably mounted on said track, anchored first double-acting means for moving said carriage at cross-angles to said travel path, second double-acting means carried by said carriage for moving said assembly along said track, and control means responsive to the travel of a wheel along said travel path for selectively activating said first and second doubleacting means such as to cause said first double-acting means to move said carriage toward said travel path to bring said assembly into wheel engaging position and to cause said second double-acting means to advance said assembly along said track with the advancing wheel when said wheel is near the beginning of said track, and such as to cause said first double-acting means to move said carriage away from said travel path to remove said assembly from wheel engaging position and to cause said second double-acting means to return said assembly to the beginning of said track when said wheel is near the end of said track.

2. The Wheel washer of claim 1 in which said control means includes a control arm carried by said brush and nozzle assembly and arranged to extend into said travel path behind the wheel being washed when said assembly is in wheel engaging position, said control means de' activating said second double-acting means responsive to engagement of said arm with the back of said Wheel whereby the advance of said assembly along said track is maintained at the same rate as the advance of said wheel along said travel path.

3. The wheel Washer of claim 1 in which said control means includes a valve which, when closed, deactivates said second double-acting means and includes a control arm mounted on said brush and nozzle assembly to extend into said travel path behind the wheel being washed when'said assembly is in wheel engaging position, said control arm being arranged and adapted to close said valve responsive to engagement of the arm with the back of said wheel whereby the advance of said assembly along said track is maintained at the same rate as the advance of said wheel along said travel path.

4. The wheel washer of claim 1 in which said'second double-acting means comprises a reversible endless conveyor mounted on said carriage to extend along said track and connected to said brush and nozzle assembly for shuttling said assembly on the track, a pair of drums journal mounted on said carriage and operatively associated with said conveyor to turn in unison responsive to movement of said conveyor in either direction of travel, a pair of cables each having one of its ends anchored on a respective said drum, and double-acting fluid cylinder means carried by said carriage and operatively associated with said cables and with said control means for selectively pulling either of said cables and correspondingly releasing the other cable whereby the cable being pulled unwinds from its drum and responsively moves said conveyorand assembly while the cable being released winds on its drum responsive to turning of such drum by the conveyor.

5. The wheel washer of claim 1 in which said second double-acting means comprises a reversible endless conveyor mounted on said carriage to extend along said track and connected to said brush and nozzle assembly for shuttling said assembly on the track, a pair of drums journal mounted on said carriage and operatively associated with said conveyor to turn in unison responsive to movement of said conveyor in either direction of travel, a pair of cables, each of said cables having one of its ends anchored on a respective said drum and its other end anchored to said carriage, a pair of pulleys engaging respective of said cables, a pair of fluid cylinders having respective of said pulleys journaled on the outer ends of their piston rods, and pressurized fiuid means operatively associated with the piston rod ends of said cylinders and with said control means for selectively applying a greater fluid pressure on the piston rod end of the piston of either cylinder than on the piston rod end of the piston of the other cylinder to thereby selectively pull one of said cables and release the other cable whereby the cable being pulled unwinds from its drum and responsively moves said conveyor and assembly while the cable being released winds on its drum responsive to turning of such drum by the conveyor.

6. The wheel washer of claim 1 in which said second double-acting means comprises a pair of sprockets journal-mounted on the ends of said carriage, an endless chain meshing with said sprockets and connected to said brush and nozzle assembly for shuttling said assembly responsive to turning of said sprockets, and turning means for selectively turning one of said sprockets in one direction for advancing said assembly along said ,track-bysaid chain and for turning the other sprocket in the opposite 7 direction of rotation for, returning said track by said chain.

sa d, a m y lon 7; The wheel washer of claim 6" in whichfsaid turn ingmeans comprises a pair of drums coupled to 'said' i,

sprockets, a pair of cables eachjanchored to a respective said drum and to said carriage, a pair of pulleys engaging respective of said cables intermediate the drum and the carriage -anchored end of the cable,and fluid pressure means carried by said carriage for selectively pulling either of said pulleys and correspondingly.releasing the other pulley whereby the cable on the pulley being pulled and includes a follower-roller journal mounted'on the trailing end of said arm and projecting therefrom into of its sprocket ing said'first and second doable-acting means such as to cause d first dou e-a t n means to mov i a riage toward saidtravel pathigto' bring said brush'into W e sa i n l t e n jto cause a d s nd doubl acting meansto advance said assembly along said track with the'adyancing wheel'whensaid' wheel is near the beginning of said track, and such as to cause said first double-acting Kmeans. remove said carriage away from said travel path behind the wheel being washed when said assembly is in wheel engaging positionysaid control .means deactivating-said seconddouble-acting means I67" 'with said control arm to yieldingly resist downward swing thereof, said follower roller normally being located below the level of the axle of said wheel being washed whereby engagement of thelfollower-roller with the back 1 or said wheel swings said arm downwardlyinopposition to said spring means into a lowered position deactivating said second double-acting'rneans. I T r r 10. The'wheel washer of claim -1 in which said con- .trol means includes a Self-opening valve which deaotivates said second double-acting means ,when ,close'd, and a control arm carried by said brush and nozzle assembly in trailing relation thereto for vertical swinging movement in a plane parallel to said travel path, a 'follower- .rollert journal mounted on the trailing end of said arm and projecting therefrom into said travel path behind the said travel, path jto remove-saidassembly from wheel engaging position'and to cause said second double-acting means to return said assembly to the beginningof said traek when said wheelie 'near, the end of said track.

12. A wheel washer comprising, means; for feeding a wheel to be'washed to and advancingthe same through the lengthof a given travel path, means ,for rotating the advancing wheel to give the same a rim speed appreciably faster than the travel'ispeed, acarriagemounted to one *sidelof said travel path for reciprocalrnotion' in a direction transverse to the travel path inwardly toward and ou w rd y m th dvancinsw ee a s k n on the carriage for motion relative thereto in a direction longitudinalto the travel path,g a'wheel washing instrurnent so supportedbysaid-tracking means as tobe advanced into and retracted outof :operating engagement withithe-advancing wheel by the inwardly and outwardly directed transverse movement, respectively,of thecarriage'and to progress'along said travel path in the same directionas the advancing wheel ,from a rearto la 'fO-I'1 ward limit ofprescribed travel by the movement of-- the tracking rneans, in the forward stroke, of its longitudinal. reciprocatiomreturning to. said rear. limit of prescribed travel by the movement of the-tracking means inthe l-atter s rearward stroke of i longitudinal reciprocation, power means for moving the" carriage and the tracking means in their respective reciprocal motions, and control means responsiveto the travel of a wheel along said travel path for so activating said power means that the wheelwashing instrument is advanced into funotidningengagernent withthe wheel as the wheel enters said travel path, moves longitudinally in concert with the wheel as the wheeladvances along said travel path, and is retracted from the wheel and returns longitudinallyto said rear wheel being washed when said assembly is inwheel engaging position, spring means mounted on said carriage and operatively connected with said control arm to yieldingly resist downward sWing thereoL-said roller 7 normally being located'below the level ofthe axle of said wheel being washed whereby engagement of the roller with the back of said wheel swings said jarm down:

wardly in opposition to said spring means into allowered position, and cam means on said swing arm arranged to 7 close said valve when said'a'r'rn, is in lowered position whereby the advance of said brush and nozzleassembly along said track is maintained at the samerrate as the advance of said wheel along said travel path. a

. ,11; A wheel washer comprising, means for advancing awheel to be washedalong a given travel-path, means for rotating said wheel, considerably faster, rim speed considered, than the bodily speed'of the wheel while;

being moved along said travel path, an elongated carriage paralleling saiditravelpath and presenting a trackf .therealong, a brush carried by said carriage, afnozzle assembly slidably mountedonsaid track, anchored first;

double-acting means for moving saidicarriage at cross- .angles to said travel path, second double-acting means carried by said carriage for moving said' ass'emblyalong said track, and control means responsive to' thetravel] wheels, I and having l-imiti;Of longitudinal travel as the'wheel leaves said '[travel path. v

13,' lhe:wheelwasher of claim 12 in which the power means for moving the carriage and the tracking means in their'respeotive jreciprocal' motions are independent and comprise, in each instance, an axially movable piston working in a double-acting fluid cylinder.

14. The wheel washer of claim 13, the power cylinder forthe tracking means beingcarried by the carriage with its axis normal to the path in which the carriage reciprocates, the rod' of the related piston having two sprocket wheels mounted thereon for free rotation about an axis perpendicular to the slide axis of the piston, two chains beingprovided, each connected by one end to thetracking means, and extending in opposite directions therefrom parallel to said" slide axis each to first take a half-turn about a respective sprocket wheel carried by the-carriagqthence returning to take a halfturn around a respective one of the two piston-carried ,SPIOcket the other'e'n'd dead-endedvto the carriage. l

ReferencesCited by theExaminer .uUNITEDSTATES'PATENTS 2,76=I',170' 9/561 Bonneau." 2 V l 142,814,825 ,12/57 Guthrieet ali 2,837 ,7.';9 6/58 Havenberg. I, v

2,975,4463/61 Furman et a1. i 15- 21 I 2,978,718 4/61 Vani et a). I 7 CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary xa in r, r 

1. A WHEEL WASHER COMPRISING, MEANS FOR ADVANCING A WHEEL TO BE WASHED ALONG A GIVEN TRAVEL PATH, MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID WHEEL CONSIDERABLY FASTER, RIM SPEED CONSIDERED, THAN THE BODILY SPEED OF THE WHEEL WHILE BEING MOVED ALONG SAID TRAVEL PATH,AN ELONGATED CARRIAGE PARALLELING SAID TRAEL PATH AND PRESENTING A TRACK THEREALONG, A BRUSH AND NOZZLE ASSEMBLY SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON SAID TRACK, ANCHORED FIRST DOUBLE-ACTING MEANS FOR MOVING SAID CARRIAGE AT CROSS-ANGLES TO SAID TRAVEL PATH, SECOND DOUBLE-ACTING MEANS CARRIED BY SAID CARRIAGE FOR MOVING SAID ASSEMBLY ALONG SAID TRACK, AND CONTROL MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE TRAVEL OF A WHEEL ALONG SAID TRAVEL PATH FOR SELECTIVELY ACTIVATING SAID FIRST AND SECOND DOUBLEACTING MEANS SUCH AS TO CAUSE SAID FIRST DOUBLE-ACTING MEANS TO MOVE SAID CARRIAGE TOWARD SAID TRAVEL PATH TO BRING SAID ASSEMBLY INTO WHEEL ENGAGING POSITION AND TO CAUSE SAID SECOND DOUBLE-ACTING MEANS TO ADVANCE SAID ASSEMBLY ALONG SAID TRACK WITH THE ADVANCING WHEEL WHEN SAID WHEEL IS NEAR THE BEGINNING OF SAID TRACK, AND SUCH AS TO CAUSE SAID FIRST DOUBLE-ACTING MEANS TO MOVE SAID CARRIAGE AWAY FROM SAID TRAVEL PATH TO REMOVE SAID ASSEMBLY FROM WHEEL ENGAGING POSITION AND TO CAUSE 